Overseas Competition Update: October 22


The WNBA season may have wrapped up, but that doesn’t mean the basketball action has stopped. After all, #BasketballNeverStops.

Players from all across the WNBA have made the trek overseas to start a new season abroad. From Puerto Rico to Turkey to Russia to the Czech Republic, the WNBA’s best are back in action. Let’s take a look at some of their performances thus far.


RUSSIA

Brittney Griner, Kristi Toliver and Sancho Lyttle are playing for Russian powerhouse UMMC Ekaterinburg this season, and they’re joined by Diana Taurasi. On Thursday, they squared off against some familiar WNBA foes.

Ekaterinburg took on a Nadezhda team that features DeWanna Bonner and Kayla McBride. And while the Ekaterinburg stormed out of the gates to a 10-0 lead, Nadezdha settled in and gave Ekaterinburg all they could handle.

MORE: Liberty Overseas Update | Storm Overseas Headquarters

However, the combination of Taurasi (12 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists), Griner (12 points, 4 rebounds), and Sandrine Gruda (18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists) proved to be too much. Ekaterinburg took home the 64-54 win in EuroLeague action.


SPAIN

Jacki Gemelos spent the 2015 season with the Chicago Sky, fulfilling a lifelong dream of making it to the WNBA after five – yes, five – ACL tears. And now she’s stepping up for Perfumerias Avenida. She scored 10 points and pulled down 6 boards in their win against ESBVA-LM on Wedensday.


TURKEY

Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce always make noise in the EuroLeague, and they’re off to a good start in 2015. Allie Quigley, Jantel Lavender and Quanitra Hollingsworth are all prominent members of the team and are all off to a solid starts overseas.

Allie Quigley, who took home the Sixth Woman of the Year award for the 2015 WNBA season, continues to impress on the court. She poured in 18 points in Wednesday’s win over Good Angels Kosice, who were led in scoring by Crystal Langhorne (21 points).

EuroLeague newcomers Castors Braine have been a stingy opponent through the first few games played. They took Agu Spor to overtime Wednesday and have looked like a team that is primed and ready for competition ahead of them in Group B.


AUSTRALIA

EuroLeague isn’t the only international league that’s in action these days. Seattle’s Abby Bishop is already back in action with Canberra in the WNBL, and she’s off to a hot start. Bishop is averaging 12.75 points through her first four games with UCC.

Phoenix’s Leilani Mitchell is averaging 15 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists through her first two games with Adelaide. Chicago’s Betnijah Laney is averaging 10.3 points and 4 rebounds for the Perth Lynx. And the New York Liberty’s Carolyn Swords is averaging 15 points and 4.5 rebounds for the Sydney Uni Flames.

The WNBL continues to be ripe with some of the WNBA’s best talents.


WNBA.com will keep you updated on the top performances in overseas competition throughout the offseason. All photos courtesy of EuroLeague.